If you are involved in a high-conflict divorce, every room you share with the other person can feel thick with tension and anger. It may seem like a relief to retreat to virtual spaces like social media, but the fact is that social media can be just as contentious as a courtroom in some respects.
With this in mind, we urge you to consider some important tips for navigating social media during your divorce.
- Be careful what you post. As noted in this Prevention article, everything you post or share on social media sites can come under scrutiny during a legal battle. This is particularly true if your statements contradict what you have said in court documents.
- Consider signing off for awhile. If you feel like you cannot control your emotions or if you are simply getting no enjoyment out of social media, take a break for awhile. Even if you don’t deactivate an account, you can find relief by staying away from sites like Facebook or Instagram until you are in a better place.
- Unfriending can be your friend. There may be no reasons to keep following your ex or his or her family members on social media during a heated split. And if there is any risk that you or your loved ones will be tempted to harass your ex or your ex’s family, consider asking them to unfriend as well.
- Focus on other things. It can be easy to obsess over what others post — or don’t post — on social media, particularly when you are going through such a traumatic and vulnerable event. Instead of focusing on life online, work on improving and maintaining positive connections with family and friends offline.
What you say or do on social media can have a much more significant impact on your divorce than you may think, especially when the situation is already rife with contention and conflict. Under these circumstances, it doesn’t take much to set off a fight.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding your social media presence or your ex’s social media behaviors, it can be wise to discuss them with a Board-Certified Family Law specialist rather than let them potentially threaten your divorce.